New Big Ben Contract Not A Big Deal

Leave it to ESPN analysts: they love to stir up controversy when it comes to the Steelers. Their favorite targets have been Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley over the last two seasons.

The trend continues, when hours before the start of training camp, a report surfaced about the Rooneys breaking their tradition of signing their quarterbacks, when the player has two years left on their deal.

Immediately the story caused a panic: will Ben be a Steeler for his entire career? Will the Rooneys resign him? How much money will they pay Ben? And so on, and so forth.

The hysteria was immediately downplayed by Roethlisberger and rightfully so. Last season, ESPN took advantage of an 0-4 start to Pittsburgh’s season, citing “anonymous” sources within the Steelers’ organization, in regard to Big Ben’s so-called “tedious” relationship with offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Then the lowest blow of all, during that slow start, when the same analyst released a rumor of Roethlisberger requesting a trade from the team. I remember sitting in the tailgate lot when the story was released. It seemed almost intentional in it’s timing, as the team was an hour and a half from kickoff. How is Ben supposed to respond when he’s preparing for a game? And what of his teammates who read the information?

In much the same way, some pundits are making a bigger story of a new Roethlisberger deal, possibly with the same intention of driving a wedge between the star quarterback and his team. Ben immediately squashed any hard feelings and put them to rest before they could manifest.

However, this non-story will somehow continue through the season, despite the team focusing on other free agents and maneuvering cap space for the future. For example, Maurkice Pouncey was rewarded with a rich contract, some of which restructures his 2014 cap number to “front load” his deal. Similar deals were made with extensions to both Troy Polamalu and Health Miller’s contracts, all of which help the team’s cap for future seasons.

The Steelers are also busy seeking new deals with other “priority” players. Reportedly, one player is CB Cortez Allen, who is in the final season of his contract. Marcus Gilbert’s contract expires at the end of this season as well. Another player on the radar is Jason Worilds, who’s transition tag comes with a large cap number for 2014, though the Steelers may be taking a “wait and see” approach with the OLB. Cameron Heyward has already been optioned for a fifth year on his rookie deal, which will see him play in the Burgh through 2015, but a big year from the big man could put him in the contract spotlight as well.

But no players are in the contract spotlight more than quarterbacks. $20 million a year for a QB is almost commonplace in today’s NFL. With new QB contracts becoming larger and larger, the Steelers may be holding out one more year to see how high the salary cap will be expanded for the following season. Doing so would allow them to restructure Ben’s current contract and sign him to an extension in much the same way they did with Pouncey, Polamalu and Miller this off-season.

This isn’t a notice that Ben will move on, it’s simply a smart business move on behalf of the Rooneys. Ben’s comments eluded to ownership making the team as competitive as possible, and he’s spot-on with his assessment. Besides, Ben himself is quoted as wanting to play out his career in Pittsburgh. Seeking nutrition and strength training coaches for the first time, the QB feels rejuvenated and better than ever. Early in camp, his off-season work reportedly shows a dedication to the same.

At age 32 this is good news, as Ben is apparently playing in his prime. But how many years could he have left in the league?

Tom Brady is 36 and showing no signs of slowing down. Drew Brees, at age 35, recently went on record as saying he will play until age 45, if he can maintain his health.

If Big Ben’s teammates can keep him upright as they did during the 2nd half of last season, where he was sacked only 7 times in 7 games, there’s no reason to believe the gunslinger won’t be in the league for at least another 5 years. After all, Peyton Manning lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl this past season at age 37 and Brett Favre nearly did the same with the Vikings at age 40.

While in London last season, Ben made the comment he would like to surpass Terry Bradshaw’s 4 Super Bowl wins. With 3 appearances and 2 rings on his finger, he’s well on his way, and it appears his team would like nothing more than to keep him around long enough to reach his goal.